Learn Arabic › B2 › دُعابَة
دُعابَة
jest, playful banter /duˈʕaː.ba/
nounB2#4144 most common
Also: joking, teasing, pleasantry
Example sentences
هُوَ يُحِبُّ الدُّعابَةَ.
He likes joking around.
قالَ ذَلِكَ بِدُعابَةٍ لا بِجِدٍّ.
He said that in jest, not seriously.
دُعابَتُهُ خَفيفَةٌ وَتُسْعِدُ الجَميعَ.
His banter is light-hearted and delights everyone.
لَمْ يُدْرِكْ أَنَّ دُعابَتَهُ جَرَحَتْ مَشاعِرَ صَديقِهِ.
He did not realize his joke hurt his friend's feelings.
بَرَعَ الكاتِبُ في نَسْجِ دُعاباتٍ ذَكِيَّةٍ داخِلَ سَرْدٍ جادٍّ.
The writer excelled at weaving clever jests into a serious narrative.
تَنْطَوي دُعاباتُهُ السّاخِرَةُ عَلى نَقْدٍ اجْتِماعِيٍّ عَميقٍ يَتَجاوَزُ ظاهِرَ المُزاحِ.
His sarcastic quips carry a deep social critique that goes beyond the surface of jest.
Declension
| Case | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Nominative | دُعابَةٌ | دُعاباتٌ |
| Genitive | دُعابَةٍ | دُعاباتٍ |
| Accusative | دُعابَةً | دُعاباتٍ |
| Vocative | يا دُعابَةُ | يا دُعاباتُ |
Word family
داعَبَto joke with, tease playfully
مُداعَبةplayful teasing, banter
مُداعِبone who jokes or teases playfully
دَعِبfond of joking, playful by nature
Etymology
دعابة comes from the Semitic triliteral root د-ع-ب, which underlies the verb داعب, meaning to joke with someone or tease them playfully. The noun follows a pattern used for abstract qualities and states, so دعابة denotes the act or quality of light, good-natured joking rather than a single joke. It is native Arabic vocabulary, not a borrowing.
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